Teacher allegedly forces pupil to cut braids

An Mfuleni mother is livid that a teacher allegedly cut her daughter’s hair without her permission.

Beauty Hoko, 48, has taken her grade 11 daughter out of Tuscany Glen High School, in Kuils River, because of the treatment she allegedly received at the hands of a teacher.

“I had numerous meetings with the teacher and the principal. I wanted an answer but nothing came my way. At some point we agreed that she was going to pay for the braids but I assume somebody advised her otherwise because she would duck and dive. The school principal was no of help too. All I want is for her to face the law,” she said at her Mfuleni home.

However, the education department says her daughter agreed to have beads cut out of her braids, which was against school policy, and that when Ms Hoko was asked to attend a meeting at the school, she didn’t pitch.

Bronagh Hammond, Western Cape Education spokesperson, said: “The learner, according to procedure, was brought to the school hall for being late. It was realised that she had beads in her hair, which was against the school dress code. Another learner, who also arrived at school that day with beads, opted to take her beads out rather than get a cautionary letter to give to her parents. The learner in question allegedly opted to do the same, and do a bob hairstyle.”

Ms Hoko said her child has been traumatised by the incident and refused to go back to school because she had been humiliated in front of other pupils.

“She would come home crying because the teacher called her names in front of the class,” said Ms Hoko, who called the teacher a bully. “But I also blame the principal for allowing such behaviour at her school. I am outraged because she is not the only one with braids at the school.”

Ms Hoko has since taken her child out of the school.

“The humiliation was unbearable even to me now. It was stressful for me to see her crying after coming back from school. I could not take it any longer. She is now happy at the school she is at,” she concluded

Ms Hammond said the district followed up with the school and the teacher denies the allegations.

“She subsequently demanded money from the teacher,” Ms Hammond said. “The teacher had indicated a willingness to meet with the parent on several occasions. A date was set and the parent did not arrive. The parent has allegedly been to the school subsequently demanding the money and refuses to engage in a meeting.”

Ms Hammond confirmed that the pupil was then deregistered from the school by the parent and is now attending another school.